Sheet feeding mechanism



Aug. 27, 1935. H. HALLSTREAM 2,012,443

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed March 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 27, 1935. H. HALLSTREAM SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed March 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 935. H. HALLSTREAM SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed March 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 7, 1935. H. HALLSTREAM 2,012,448

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed March 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 H. HALLSTREAM 2,012,448

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM 1935- 4 H. HALLSTREAM 2,012,448

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed March 12, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING Henning Hallstream, Braintree, Mass}; assignor to Cross Paper Feeder Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 12, 1930, Serial; no. 435,040 RenewedJunc 18, 1934 Claims. (Cl. 271-46) Th p en inv nt on r l to paper-feeding are adjustable lengthwise of the feeder, and are mechanism adapted for the regular and uniform normally designed to be positioned in accordance delivery of sheets to a printing press or the like. with the size of the sheet to maintain control The invention is particularly concerned with thereof until delivery to the pull-up guides, these 5 mechanism for accurately and expeditiously hanrolls engaging with the rear edge of the sheet 5- dllng the sheets between separation from a bank and decelerating it just prior to such delivery,

p and v y to the truins pu l-up finally releasing the sheet upon delivery of its guides for transfer to the press. front-edge to the guides. For the accomplish- It is ne obj t f th present invention to p oment of the above result, both the initial deivide & mechanism Which is Capable of initiating livery rolls and the front delivery rolls of the 10.

a d maintaining a Positive engagement with the slowdown are caused to operate with identical sheet during its transfer from a position adjacent peripheral speeds, and to conform to the same the 13116 bank to the D p guides. and t predetermined cycle of acceleration and decelp rm i transfer in a nn r to v d eration independently of the position to which 1;; ing ,or injury to the sheet independently of the the front delivery rolls may be adjusted to accomrate of transfer. a modate varying sizes of sheets.

It is a further object of e inve o p In certain instances where it may be desirable vide a mechanism capable of satisfactorily -hanto accommodate sheets of widely varying length I i n and ntr s ts av n the a t and Where the variance is suchthat adjustment variance in dimensions which may be found in of the front delivery rolls to accommodate the 20 ommer ial practice, nd to maintain p s v shortest sheet would cause the rear end of the and accurate control of the e hee throughout sheet to be released from the initial delivery rolls the re range of movement before engagement thereof by the front rolls, it

With these and other Obj in View, one is proposed to provide intermediate forwarding urn f the p e invention contemplates the rolls which are located between the rolls herepldvisinh of e y r0118 Which ve a She tofore mentioned and designed to maintain prisi- Sepnfated from a p bank by combing tive engagement and control of the sheet during their equivalent, these delivery r0115 being that portion of its travel between the initial dep t ve y o e a in timed relation to the livery rolls and the front or adjustable delivery l ve y Of a s The delivery r0115 v a rolls, these rolls also moving in synchronism in 30 riable speed of operation according to a predeorder t t t S t, may be picked up and termined cycle Such that the T0118 haVe DP livered without'change or alteration inthe rate mately the lowest or minimum peripheral speed, f ement, at the instant of engagement With the front edge Still further features of the invention consist of a sheet delivered t eretoby the Separating in certain novel features of construction, com- 35. mechanism. After de v y of the Separated binations and arrangements of parts, hereinafter sheet to t e p s y ve rolls. the Sheetis described and claimed; the advantages of which engaged in feed relation y automfiticahywill be obvious to those skilled in the art from operated drop rolls which cause the forwarding th j following description 40 :ofthe sheet by the delivery rolls in an accurate ,Inthe accompanying drawings illustrating the 40 and predetermined manner. Immediately after f r ed f 'f invention; engagement of the sheetflthe rate of speed of the g represehtsa Side elevation of that rolls is accelerated and the latter caused to travel tion of a Sheet feeding mechanism embodying at substantially a maximum rate of speed during the features of the invention, the transfer of the sheet to the pull-up or truing a View partially in section of the guide; Located between the delivery rolls and mechanism shown in Fig the pull-up guides to which the front end of the F1 3 is a longitudinal 'setion on the line 3 3 sheet is delivered are a set of what may be de- 4 h m d t 1 f th nominated as front delivery rolls, which funcof 0f t e varla e spee con m or e ion rimarih for the urpose of maintaining a constant control of th e sheet during its entire the t i Separated from a bank and dellveledf range of movement and slowing down or deceltorthe first T011; crating the advance of the sheet at the instant Fig. 4 is atransverse section of the mechanism delivery to the pull-up guides. The front delivery shown in Fig. 3 taken upon the line 44 of 5 rolls or tail-end slowdown, as it may be termed, Fig. 3;-

delivery rolls, illustrating the manner in which 50 trating the employment of intermediate rolls inthe event that the sheet feeder is designed for the handling of extreme size ranges. 7

Referring to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the feeder comprises generally a frame 59 extending at its forward end in close proximity to the cylinder [2 of thepress, as shown particularly in Fig. 1. At a point removed from the front end of the frame is a table or platen M adapted to carry the usual bank of sheets, in-

dicated at 6. The top sheet is separated at predetermined and regular intervals from the bank in any desired manner, as by combing wheels, and delivered with the front edge of the sheet in position to be engaged by delivery rolls l8, of

which at least two are employed at opposite sides of the sheet. The proper delivery'of the sheet to the rolls may b'econtrolled as is usual in machines of this type by'drop guides 19 adapted to be enaged by the sheet at opposite sides andcontrol the proper presentation of thefront edge to the roll. If both drop guides are engaged by' the sheet, the combing mechanism is removed from' operative engagement therewith. If only one drop guide is engaged by the sheet at one sidejthe corresponding combing rolls are removed from operative engagement, the'combing rolls at the opposite side of the sheetcontinue to advance the sheet until thatside is brought int'o register with the cutout, thus insurin'ga reasonably accurate presentation ofv the sheet to the delivery rolls. lvlech'anism for the proper presentation of the" top sheet-at regular intervals'to the delivery rolls forms no part specifically of the present invention, and'is not 'shownin'detail herein;

According to the present invention, the de-' livery. rolls iii (only one of which is shown in each view) are positively driven at a predetermined and variable rate of peripheral 's'peed which is properly timed with the'operative' movement of a complementary drop'roll whicli'engages and clamps the sheet to the delivery roll at apoint in the cycle when movement ofthe delivery roll has momentarily ceased orv substantially so.

After clamping, the speed of the roll is'rapidly but uniformly accelerated with a'corre'sponding movement of the sheet,and thereafter traverses'the sheet with maximum speed to a point at which the front edge of the sheet may be engaged by the mechanism of the press.' Inasmuch asthe sheet passes beyond -the-control of the delivery roll during the latter part of ?the travel, it is thereafter engaged by a secondand similarly driven roll for governing andcontrolling the sheet up to its final delivery,

The mechanism-ion actuating the delivery roll receives its motive power, f'romfa shaft- 29, asv

shown in Figs. 3 and 5, whichisdriven in any convenient .manner in timed. relation to the operation of the press, and if necessary to the remain-' "ing parts of the feeding mechanism, providing;

that these partsdo not receive'their motive power from the single shaft. The shaft 20 at the upper end is provided with a bevel gear 22'which' meshes with and drives a second bevel gear-224 mounted upon a transverse shaft 26 which is journal'ed at opposite ends in a gear casing 28. The upper end of the shaft 28 carrying the bevel 22 is supported in a yoke 3 which is removably clamped about a hub 32 for the shaft 26, as more particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Loosely journaled upon a second and parallel shaft 33 is a large gear 34 which meshes with a small gear 36 pinned to the shaft 26 and is driven thereby. The large gear carries two planet gears 33 and ii each loosely journaled upon a bearing mounted in the face of the large gear 3d, and in turn meshing with a common sun gear 42 which is provided with an elongated hub portion 34 in which the shaft 33 is journaled, the sun gear being stationary and causing rotation of the planet gears as carried thereabout in a circumferential direction by the continuous and uniform rotation of the carrying gear 34. Each of the planet gears 38 and (ii) carried at diametrically opposite sides of the gear 42 is provided with a crank, these cranks being indicated respectively at '46 and 48, and driving a variable speed gear 513 through links 52 and 54, as indicated more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. It will be noted that the diameter and pitch circumference of the gears 3 and 58 are identical, and that with the mechanism illustrated, the two gears accomplish one complete revolution simultaneously. It will be furthermore evident, however, that owing to the variable drive connection between the constant speed gear 34 and the variable speed gear 58, the motion of the variable speed gear is accelerated and decelerated twice during each complete rotation of the gear 3 3, due to the fact that the sun gear 2 is twice the size of the planet gears 38 and to, causing each of these gears to make two complete rotations during a complete circumferential movement about the periphery of the sun gear. Owing to the arrangement of the crank arms and the connections between the crank arms and the gear 583, the movement of the gear 55 is momentarily reduced at two points in therotation to practically a standstill, and therebetween is uniformly accelerated by the cranks to a rate of speed slightly in excess of the driving gear 34. Obviously due to the arrangement of the crank arms and the diametricallyopposite disposal of the planet gears and cranks, the acceleration and deceleration, due to the opposite planet gears, take place simultaneously, and uniform and similar driving torques are simultaneously exerted upon the gear 50. As will be evident from Fig. 4, the gear B is provided with a hub 69 which is loosely journaled upon the stationary hub d5. Variable rotagear l6 which is loosely journaled upon a stub shaft 13. This idler gear engages with and drives asmall pinion 89 upon a shaft 82 which carries a helical gear'St at its outer end, which in turn meshes with and drives a helical gear 86 pinned to'the drive shaft F2. The drive shaft '52, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 2,- extends lengthwise of the bed, and is provided with a sliding helical gear 87 keyed thereto for sliding movement thereon with the carriage 88, which carries a front delivery roll 90. This roll is journaled in the carriage upon a shaft 92, and is driven from the helical gear 81 by virtue of a sec-- ond helical gear 54 mounted upon the roll shaft. By a proper coordination of the gearratios included in the train of gears I4, I6 and-80, the delivery rolls iii and 853 of dissimilar diameter may be rotated at the same peripheral rate of speed.

Obviouslythe rate of peripheral speed is variedsimultaneously, due to the common variable driving connection. From an inspection of Figs. 1 to 3, it will be evident that the carriage 88 carrying the slowdown assembly is slidingly mounted upon inclined guide members i 96, and is adjustably moved lengthwise of the guide members through the provision of gears 98, meshing with oppositely disposed racks mil, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which are respectively a side elevation and a sectional elevation taken approximately centrally of the feeding apparatus. Movement of the carriage into position to accommodate different lengths of sheet is accomplished by rotation of an adjusting member :62 which causes the carriage to be traversed lengthwise of the racks. The carriage is locked in adjusted position by a clamping member M4 to lock the gear shaft against rotation. After the carriage has been adjusted to properly locate the front delivery rolls for any given size of sheet, a stop collar I06 may be clamped to the guide rail to determine the posidelivery roll therebeneath by virtue of a spring H6 stretched between connecting members H8 and lit, mounted respectively upon the hub of the arm H2 and a normally fixed sleeve I22,'

the delivery rolls to causeinstant engagement and forwarding of a sheet from the primary rolls l8. Cooperating with the primary delivery rolls i8 are drop or clamping rolls I30 which are mounted upon the free ends of arms I32 rotatably supported on the shaft 82. The hub of the arm E32 is connected with a cam lever assembly I36 through a sleeve ltd, as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. The outer end of the cam lever I36 is provided with a roll Mil which rides upon a peripheral cam M2 pinned to a shaft I44, which as shown in Fig. 4 forms a virtual extension of the shaft being connected to rotate with this shaft through the hub I46 pinned thereto and the hub M8 which are interlocked at I50. The hub M2 forms a part of a grooved wheel I52 engaged by a friction belt I54, this belt being fixedly connected at opposite ends to apply friction to the wheel. This wheel is normally driven from the constant speed gear 34 through a pawl Etil engaging in a tooth I62 formed in a boss I64 mounted on the face of the wheel, and retained in engagement therewith by a spring I66 connected to the wheel 52, all as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. By virtue of this construction, the shaft and friction wheel mounted thereon, together with the drop roll cam I42, are normally driven with the constant speed gear 34, but if so desired the gear and connected train may be retracted or reversed without correspondingly operating the friction wheel droprolls and operating mechanism.

Referring to the drop rolls I30, it will be evident from an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4, that the lever I35 is compounded in two parts, consisting of a main supporting arm I68 projecting from the sleeve I38 and having pivoted midway thereof a second lever arm lit. The main arm I68 carries a pin I72 which bears upon the upper portion of the lever lid, and maintains the latter in contact with the cam I 42. A spring I'M connected with the main arm I68 serves to apply the requisite pressure to the drop roll when in operative position. The purpose of compounding the main assembly I36 is to obtain the requisite fine adjustment of the movement of the drop roll into operative position. This is accomplished by mounting the arm I15 upon an eccentric support I16 journaledin the arm Hi8, and as indicatedin Figs. 3 and 4 capable of rotative adjustxvi ment through a member H8, and locked in adjusted position by a locking member I 88, all as indicated clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. -The drop roll arm I32 is connected with the sleeve I38 through a spring I82, which is connected with an extension !84 extended from a hub I86 clamped to the sleeve. By virtue of this construction the main spring I14 causes a sudden and instant movement of the drop roll into operative position in contact with the delivery roll therebe- 9 neath, and thereafter the light pressure spring 82 serves to govern the pressure of the drop roll upon a sheet of paper. By virtue of this adjustmerit of the drop roll, the engagement and delivery of the sheet to the drop guides of the press may be predetermined with extreme nicety. and the movements properly coordinated and accurately timed.

Now referring to the operation of the mech-' anism, it will be evident that a sheet of paper is separated from the top of the bank I6 by comber rolls, as indicated at 2% or their equivalent, and advanced with the front edge in position to be engaged between the nip of the delivery rolls l8 and complementary drop rolls. If the front edge of the sheet is presented properly to the delivery rolls at opposite sides, both de tector fingers 28 function in the usual manner to cause removal of the comber wheels into in operative position; otherwise, one set of comber' wheels continues operating untilthe front edge of the sheet is trued up. With the sheet positionedwith its front edge in position to be engaged by the delivery rolls and substantially stationary, the drop rolls through the cam mechanism previously described are depressed into contact with the delivery rolls and the sheet nipped thereby. At this point in the operation, the peripheral speed of the delivery rolls is slowed down to practically a standstill or thereabouts,

and after engagement of the front edge of the sheet, the speed of the delivery; rolls and the sheet carried thereby is uniformly accelerated to a maximum and thereafter maintained during the major portion of the sheet movement. Before passage of the rear edge of the sheet from the delivery rolls E8, the front edge of the sheet is engaged by the front rolls 90 having a peripheral speed corresponding to the rate of travel of the sheet picked up thereby without any change of rate whatever, so that the sheet is completely within the control of the front rolls before release by the delivery rolls I8. This continues until the front edge of the sheet has reached a predetermined position in proximity to the usual pull-up guides atthe delivery ends.

shown-in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

of the feeder. When thereafter and as the tail end of the 'sheet'is about to leave the rolls 99, the latter are 'decelerated and the motion of the sheet slowed down to practically a. complete standstill for immediate delivery to the pull-up guidesp This cycle of operations accounts for approximately onehalf a revolution of the main gears, and the next and succeeding sheet is not picked up and-engaged by the delivery rolls, except during every second slowdown of the rolls. In other words, the passage of a sheet from the delivery rolls to the pull-up guides is completed I in substantially one-half -a revolution of the main gear 34. .The front edge of the sheet is delivered in accurate register. with the drop guides 2MB of the press by the front pull-up guides 2E2 operating in the usual manner. The stopping of the machine in the event that no sheet is present is controlled by a throw-off fin-- 'to say in this connection that the position of the tail-end slowdown rolls is so adjusted as to release the sheet just prior to the instant at which the front edge is engaged by the pull-up guides, the advancing movement of the sheetv having been practically stopped at this time.

In the event that the feeding mechanism is of sufiicient size to accommodate the largest sheet which may be encountered, it is necessary for the purpose of properly handling sheets of mini- -mum size to provide intermediate forwarding rolls in addition to the tail-end slowdown. This can be understood if it is considered that the feeding mechanism is of sufiicient size to accommodate a sheet approximating d1 inches in length which may be considered as the largest sheet normally encountered. In this case obviously the span between the pick-up delivery rolls and .the pull-up guides must exceed the length of the sheet sumciently to permit passing ofsheet control completely to the tail-end slowdown prior to the delivery of the front edge to the guide; If a sheet of minimum size is then to be operated upon with the same mechanism, the tail-end slowdown must be advanced forwardly toward theguides to a'position at which the rear edge of the sheet will be controlled just prior to the delivery of the front edge to the pull-up guides, This means that the span between the slowdown rolls and the pull-up guides will approximate 18 inches, leaving a span greater than the width of the sheet between the delivery rolls and the slowdown rolls.

termediate forwarding rolls are provided as These intermediate rolls are indicated at 220 cooperating with apressure roll 222, and are mounted'upon the inclined guides between the delivery roll the complementary handling rolls through inter-- To maintain complete control of a small sheet under these conditions, a set of in-' meshing helical gears 224 and 225, the latter gear being splined to the feed shaft 12.

-What is'claimed is:

' 1; Sheet-feeding mechanism comprising a rotary actuating member, stationary gear, planet gears journaledupon the actuating member at diametrically opposite points and revolving about the stationary gear, a crank connection rotated by each planet gear, a driven member, links connecting each of the cranks in the driven member in a manner such that the cranks are oppositely directed at all times, and means for rotating the actuating member to impart a constantly varying movement to. the driven member through the planet gears and operating connections.

2. Sheet-feeding mechanism comprising an actuating gear, planet gears journaled thereon at diametrically opposite points, a stationary sun gear interposed between the planet gears and having double the number of teeth in each of the planet gears, a driven gear, crank connections between the planet gears and driven gear to impart a predetermined and variable rate of rotation to-thedriven gear, a delivery roll, and connections between the driven gear and roll designed to traverse any peripheral point of the 1' 1 through a distance approximately equal to the length of travel of the sheet during each half revolution'of the driven gear.

3.."sheet ieeding mechanism comprising driving and driven gears, means for operating the driving gear at a'constant rate of speed, connections between the driving and driven gears for slowing down and momentarily stopping the driven gear. twice during each complete revolutionfthereof, a delivery roll, front guides, and connections between the driven gear and roll designed to engage and substantially complete the advanceof the sheet to the front guides between slowdown periods of the roll. 1

4. Sheet-feeding -mechanism comprising front drop guides, forwarding'rolls arranged to engage and forward the sheet, means for operating the forwarding rolls at a predetermined rate of rotation,'a delivery roll, means for actuating the delivery roll at a predetermined rate of rotation, adrop roll cooperating therewith, an arm supporting the'drop roll, a compound lever connected with thearm, a cam for operating the lever, and an eccentric member for varying the two parts of the compound lever to correspondingly vary the motion of the drop roll created by the earn.

5. Sheet feeding mechanism comprising separating means, delivery rolls receiving the sheet therefrom, pull-up guides, and means for rotating the delivery rolls at a variable speed timed in relation to the presentation of the sheet edge thereto, the rolls being operated at the lowest peripheral speed at th moment of presentation, rapidly accelerating to a maximum speed, conveying the sheet edge at maximum speed throughout the major portion of its traverse to the pullup guides and finally decelerating the movement of the sheet to'an approximate stand-still upon actual delivery to the pull-up guides.

. HENNING HALLSTREAM. 

